I have been struggling to find a suitable form of neck protection for riding horses. I am 8 months post op C1-C3 fusion with graft. It was a strange case, and to cut a long story short, i have a permanently broken neck which the surgeon have screwed all together to stop it from moving. i really really really want to start breakaway roping (I stopped early on as I found that I had fractures in my lower spine). However I’m going to need some very good neck protection. There is plenty for footballers and motorbike riders but none for equestrians. Even the rodeo bareback vests with the neck roll do not come small enough to fit me. I would greatly appreciate anyone experiences with neck protection. thank you in advance!
Has your surgeon confirmed that your fusion was successful and the fusion and growth of the bones is complete? I have an artificial disc in my neck and one of the reasons I opted for that is that I was told I wouldn’t be able to ride for a year if I’d done a fusion. Riding isn’t really the issue of course… it’s falling off. Be careful out there!
I’m not sure what type of protection your looking for but DH mountain bikers use neck braces to prevent too much movement during a crash. The Leatt neck braces are popular. Again not sure if this is what your looking for.
Can you work with an occupational therapist? They probably have the best access to options.
